Chapter 17 A Good Part

"Child," Honey Queen cooed. "You appear to be distressed."

Solar pressed his lips together. His entire being shuddered at those words, because that sentence contained an implicit message that told him he should talk to Honey Queen about his trouble. He knew that the queen was trying to put him into a corner in order for her to get information out of him. Well, he didn't have to answer if he didn't want to.

"I'm fine, Honey Queen."

Honey Queen's brow furrowed. The buzz of her wings grew softer, less pronounced. "Are you sure?"

Solar nodded. Again, the queen was probing him. "Yes."

Honey Queen slowly nodded. While the look of concern was still present on her face, at least she wasn't acting on the thoughts that were in her head. This was good, as it allowed Solar some form of privacy.

Honey Queen turned around, allowing herself to see the main planet. Solar also took a step forward, watching the main planet too. Little worker bees flitted about it, some carrying buckets and others covered in dusty golden pollen. Solar smiled at that sight.

"It looks like the bees are covered in fairy dust."

Honey Queen laughed. "What an amazing imagination you have!"

"Well, that's what it looks like!" Solar looked at another bee, who had so much pollen that the stuff had formed clusters on their fuzzy little body. He giggled. "It's cute!"

Honey Queen smiled, a wise look appear in her eyes. "You might see the pollen as fairy dust, but I must tell you that is not what it is." Her eyes twinkled. "It is something so much better. Pollen, you see, is an essential part of life. The bees collect the pollen, and give it to other plants that are in need of it. With that pollen, those plants can make more plants. And from those plants, all creatures, great and small, get their food."

Solar nodded. "Cool."

"Yes, indeed." Honey Queen smiled at the workers. "We bees take great pride in playing our part in the greater good of the universe."

Solar watched the bees. The faces of the workers supported Honey Queen's words, as they were beaming. Even the bees who looked absolutely ridiculous while wearing their coats of pollen looked as proud as can be.

"That's good." Solar lowered his gaze to the ground. "It must be nice knowing that you have a good part to play."

The buzzing sound produced by Honey Queen's wings grew faster, stronger. "It is indeed."

Solar's breathing sped up a little. A good part to play. A job that only you can do in a way that only you can do it. Yes, it must be nice knowing that you have purpose, and that each and every part of the person you are is going to lead to good things for somebody else.

"Solar?"

Solar wiped the tears from his eyes. "I'm alright. I promise I'm alright."

Honey Queen nodded, although there was a forlorn quality to her features. "If you wish to talk, I am always right…"

"I don't want to talk," Solar said. He stepped toward the launch star. "I just need to do something."

With that, he was launched toward the main planet. As he flew through the sky, he noticed the worker bees with their buckets of honey. He decided that he was going to get some for himself. Good food could distract from a bad mood. Sometimes, it could even cure it.

He landed softly in the grass, taking a deep breath as he did. With one foot in front of the other, he made his way over to a worker bee.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can get some honey?"

The bee laughed. "There are pools all over the planet. Keep walking, and you're bound to come across one eventually."

"Thank you." Solar chose a random direction and followed that path. It didn't take him long to find the honey, although it was unfortunate that his feet located it before his eyes did.

"Great," Solar sighed. He pulled with all of his strength against the sticky stuff. He eventually managed to get his shoe out, but just from the look of the bottom of it, he knew that walking would be a chore. He shook his head and knelt down. He would deal with that later.

He dipped his fingers in the liquid. The taste of it was strong and sweet. He recognized a happy feeling welling up within him, a warmth spreading throughout his chest. He almost smiled because of it. Almost.

Why did he still feel awful?

Solar wiped another tear from his eye. Not even the honey was helping him. The happy warmth was already fading, fizzling out and dying as the negativity suffocated it. It had proven to be temporary.

"Why?" That was the only question he was able to ask himself out loud, as his thoughts were racing around too fast for his tongue to capture them.

Why did a new power activate? Why did it have to activate? Why did another wedge have to be put between him and his Mama. She was probably scared out of her mind now. He knew he was.

Solar shook his head. All those things Honey Queen said about playing a good part in the universe would prove to be untrue in his case. He was going to become a monster, if he wasn't one already.

"I'm sorry, Mama," he said to himself. In that moment, he felt someone lay a hand on his shoulder. He didn't even bother to lift his head to look at the person. "I'm sorry that I was born like this. I'm sorry I let you down. I'm sorry…"

The hand stroked his shoulder, which brought some form of comfort to the little boy. Mama would do this sometimes, or at the very least, she used to. The motion was beautiful, the sensation nostalgic. Solar stood up, ready to wrap his mother in an embrace.

But it wasn't his Mama that was behind him.